School Board considers what to do with four vacant school properties

At Monday’s regular meeting the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education discussed four vacant properties it owns, what they are worth, and how it would be nice to own the 10 acres behind St. Anthony Catholic Church, next to the high school.
Plante Moran CRESA provided maps, zoning, and value of the properties, with vacant land being estimated as being worth about $26,889 per acre.
The list included:
• 19.84 acres on Denton Road, Canton Township, zoned R-1, Single Family Residential, estimated value of $533,478;
• 31.52 acres at 17601 Elwell Road, Sumpter Township, zoned AG – Agricultural, estimated value of $847,541;
• 10.93 acres on Morton Taylor Road, Van Buren Township, zoned R1B, Single Family Residential, estimated value of $279,377; and
• 8.56 acres in West Willow, Ypsilanti Township, zoned R-5 One-Family Residential, estimated value, $230,170.
They also got information on about 10 acres of St. Anthony’s property in Belleville, zoned R-1 One-Family Residential, estimated value of $268,890.
School Supt. Pete Kudlak said people have shown interest in buying some of the properties.
James Williams, director of buildings and grounds, said they will have the appraisals they have ordered in March and a small group will sit down to review the information and make a recommendation to the board.
He said the district also will have appraisals of property with buildings owned by the district.
Board Treasurer Susan Featheringill said if the school district owns the property no taxes are paid, but if houses are built on it there would be taxes and students to come to the district’s schools.
“At one point there was talk about buying the St. Anthony property,” Supt. Kudlak said. “The roadway would then be ours. They are very gracious and will let us use it for the robotics event. It could be made into a practice field.
“We’ll narrow details down to get closer to whether we want to buy or sell,” Kudlak said.
A board member suggested selling West Willow and with the money received buying the St. Anthony property.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the board:
• Approved purchase of two, 71-passenger conventional school buses at a total cost of $195,590 from Hoekstra through the MSBO/MAPT Bus Purchase Program. Shareen Barker, director of finance, said there was $199,664 left in the approved bus purchase line item for this school year and no used buses with the district’s specification were available. These will be delivered in March. Barker said a bus’s recommended life span is eight years for the type of territory this district transports within and more than half the district fleet was built in 2008 or before;
• Approved a May 9-10 motor coach / ferry trip to Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island for about 200 fifth-grade Owen Intermediate students. Cost to students is $269 each;
• Removed until the next meeting the Van Buren Township request for bus transportation for its summer camp program;
• Heard an update from student Bradley Williams and mentor Vic DeLibera on the robotics team competition that will bring an estimated 1,000 team members, plus their families, to the high school March 22-24. The BHS culinary arts students, in their chef outfits, will provide food for the VIP lounge. DeLibera said the event is being funded by the community and, “We could use volunteers to set up and tear down.” There is no admission charge for the public to watch the competition. “This is a huge undertaking,” Supt. Kudlak said. “We really want to make this a community event.” Board president Keith Johnston asked if robotics team members could get varsity letters and Kudlak said he would look into it;
• Watched the Van Buren Civic Fund representatives present a check for $8,275 to the New Tech Media Studio students and their teacher. It will buy five iMacs, three Nikon cameras and the students will prepare a marketing plan for the Van Buren Civic Fund;
• Watched a presentation by eight Owen Intermediate School students, as part of its annual presentation to the board;
• Heard Kudlak give a presentation on the Michigan Education Finance Study that showed it costs $9,590 base cost per student to assure every child in Michigan can meet the academic state standards. He said Michigan was eighth in the country at one point and now is dead last. “The funding model is broken,” he said. He said the Van Buren base now is $7,779 per student. The study also showed more funds are needed for students who have English as a second language, at-risk students, students with disabilities, and career tech students. Also recommended is universal preschool for all three and four year olds at a cost of $14,155 per student. None of this includes transportation, he said. He asked everyone to contact their local representatives in Lansing to encourage a whole new funding model to be put in place for education;
• Heard Barker announce that they are shooting for a March 1 refund day for the employees who had 3% of their salaries held back in error; and
• Heard Abdul Madyun, human resources director, announce he is holding three open meetings on insurance on Thursday, Feb. 15: at 9 a.m. in the Transportation Department, and at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the BHS auditorium.